1:350 + 1:400: Royal Navy Wessex & Sea Kings

[reggiehunt]

Hi All,

I've been following this forum for the past few weeks and wanted to share my current project here.

I am working on an alternative history 1:400 diorama. The focus will be a timeline set in the mid-late 1980s in which Malta's British military presence returns. I'll provide more details shortly, but for now I wanted to share some photos of my first stage creation: an array of Royal Navy Wessex and Sea Kings.

The kits are from L'Arsenal, and whilst they are 1:350, provided you do not place them right beside a 1:400 aircraft the volume difference is something I can live with.
These resin kits are an absolute delight to work with, and the fact they come in multiple pieces makes painting far easier as it reduces the need for masking. For anyone considering making the plunge, provided you have the patience and a steady hand, I see no reason not to.

These models are effectively test to see what needs improving, hence squadron markings are not remotely accurate - they were simply excess decals I had lying around. The roundels were a custom printed decal and far too transparent to really pop against the olive green, so these will be replaced shortly with a higher quality set found online. Personally, the gloss finished achieved with a varnish was the highlight, as they catch light quite nicely - albeit it does conceal some of the finer panel lines from a difference.

Any recommendations on where to source decals, colour scheme recommendations (1983-1986), or other aircraft people believe would be a nice addition please do not hesitate. Phantoms, Harriers, and AEW2 Sea Kings will be joining the fleet shortly.

 

[LeoMuse747]

Great work! These look very nice! I have to take a 2nd look nto L'Arsenal stuff. I once bought some GSE with them... some tugs (from WWII but quite suitable for my airport project) and some Jeep Willys. They were marketed as being 1:350 scale but honestly they looked smaller than I was expecting, almost like 1:500.

I wish they also had some civilian types of planes and helicopters.

 

[reggiehunt]

Great work! These look very nice! I have to take a 2nd look nto L'Arsenal stuff. I once bought some GSE with them... some tugs (from WWII but quite suitable for my airport project) and some Jeep Willys. They were marketed as being 1:350 scale but honestly they looked smaller than I was expecting, almost like 1:500.

I wish they also had some civilian types of planes and helicopters.

Thank you for the kind words, hopefully I can incorporate some more detailing into the next batch.
I may try and design some decals to mark out the doors, emergency exits, exhausts, etc.

Haven't made the foray into vehicles just yet, but if I do pick some up I'll let you know how it goes. I imagine at these scales it would be increasingly difficult to discern scale differences.

 

[reggiehunt]

Decals have been proofed and sent for print, with resin models in the post. I've managed to find someone capable of ALPS printing at this scale, which should produce a crisp result. Next step is to source a new airbrush, so any recommendations would be appreciated.

Along side some additional Wessex, joining the display will be a selection of RN Sea Harriers (800 NAS), RAF F-4 Phantoms (74 SQN), RAAF Mirage IIIO (3 & 75 SQN).

I will start providing some more narrative style posts to set the scene for this diorama, but the premise is set out in dot points below:

• 1979: British forces vacate Malta.
• 1981: The Gulf of Sidra Incident occurs. Libya is increasingly alienated from NATO countries, heightening tensions in the
• Mediterranean.
• 1982: Libya and Malta sign the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, with Gaddafi working to build an alliance with the Maltese government centered upon control of oil assets in the Mediterranean - an endeavour to avoid a repeat of the Saipam incident two years prior. The two nations form a JV, MedRes for the exploration of natural resources in the region. Libya commences rotating recently acquired and subsequently modified LET-401T patrol aircraft through the country, with maintenance and support infrastructure developed at the site of the former RAF Hal Far. Major oil discoveries are made by a MedRes expedition. Malta announces its intention to construct refineries and storage infrastructure on the island, and opens discussions with the Italian government on the development of an undersea pipeline enabling the direct supply of Maltese-Libyan oil to the Italian mainland. To "secure vital national infrastructure" the two governments establish the Sidra Maritime Identification Zone (SIDZ), an area spanning Valletta - Tripoli - Benghazi in which all maritime traffic is expected to identify in order to transit.
• 1983: Libya finances the construction of OTH radar in Malta, providing a view deep inside NATO airspace, and causing panic given the proximity to the sensitive US installation at Sigonella. Domestic political opposition to the deepening of economic ties with Libya grows locally, accelerated by multiple NATO coutnries introduction of trade restrictions on the export of industrial equipment to the island. The British, emboldened by their recent victory in the Falklands begins freedom of navigation exercises in the SIDZ, alongside goodwill visits to the island. The British foreign office remains quietly interested in how the provision of cheaper oil directly to mainland Europe may be used to alleviate domestic energy price concerns.
• 1984: The Maltese government, seeking to balance its place between its Northern and Southern neighbours grants the refinery construction and management contracts to BP, sparking outrage within the Libyan government who saw their National Oil Company as a near automatic choice. The Libyan Hostage Incident occurs, including the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in London. Many speculate it to be a response to the British receipt of the contract. The British deploy military assets to protect the refinery site, while MedRes continues installation of platforms in the Gulf.

I will complete the write up on the latter half of 1984, and early 1985 when the diorama is set in the near future.